Daily news - 29th April 2015 |
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UK news
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The National Drug-Related Deaths Database (Scotland) Report: Analysis of Deaths occurring in 2013 (PDF)
This is the fifth report from the National Drug-Related Deaths Database (NDRDD) for Scotland which presents data for the calendar year 2013 and trend data back to 2009. The NDRDD was established to collect detailed information regarding the nature, health and social circumstances of individuals who have died a drug-related death. This report analyses a specific cohort of drug-related deaths in Scotland on which National Statistics have already been published by National Records of Scotland (NRS) | ICSD Scotland, UK
Third of drug deaths in Scotland were parents
More than a third (36%) of drug-death victims in 2013 were parents or parental figures, according to analysis of official figures | BBC, UK
‘Legal highs’ play growing role in drug deaths
The substances like “bonsai” and “meow meow” are now a “significant challenge” for the health and justice authorities, community safety minister Paul Wheelhouse said today | Scotsman, UK
Warning to drug users over heroin sold in Swansea
South Wales Police is appealing for individuals and family and friends of anyone using heroin to seek advice following information that a particularly high purity of the drug could be circulating in Swansea | ITV, UK
MEPs debate calls for EU alcohol strategy
MEPs continued their plenary sitting on 27 April 2015 by debating a resolution calling on the Commission to draw up a new strategy to combat alcohol abuse in 2016-2020 | BBC, UK
EU to vote on calorie labels for alcoholic drinks
The European Parliament is set to vote on whether calorie labels should be put on all alcoholic drinks | BBC, UK
Drink responsibly (but please keep drinking) (PDF)
New research from Alcohol Concern suggests ‘drink responsibly’ messages appearing in alcohol adverts are being used by the alcohol industry to promote their brands rather than to help consumers make sensible choices about their drinking. The study found that, overall, less than half of the alcohol adverts and advertorials contained a ‘drink responsibly’ or equivalent message. Where ‘drink responsibly’ messages were present, these had frequently been expanded to include the brand name or drink type, or some other extra wording added to fit the wider theme of the advertising campaign | Alcohol Concern, UK
Crime in England and Wales, Year Ending December 2014
The police recorded 178,719 drug offences in the year ending December 2014, a decrease of 11% compared with the previous year. Figure 13 shows the trend over time for drug offences, where the number of drug offences steadily rose from 2004/05 until 2008/09 (peaking at 243,536 offences). They remained fairly consistent at around 230,000 each year until 2011/12, after which they began to fall. Despite recent decreases, the number of drug offences recorded in the year ending December 2014 remains 25% higher than the number recorded in 2003/04 | ONS, UK
Brighton consultant warns over laughing gas dangers
Young people should be aware of the dangers of inhaling nitrous oxide after an "explosion" in recreational use, researchers have warned | BBC, UK
Laughing gas among ‘least dangerous’ drugs
Laughing gas is the third safest drug according to the British public – and 22% of under-40s have tried it | YouGov, UK
The King's warning: expert says George VI should be anti-smoking image
Top surgeon suggests images of the Queen’s father, who died at 56 of coronary thrombosis – 90% due to smoking – should serve as warning on cigarette packets | Guardian, UK
Alcohol Alert
In this issue, pressure mounts on the European Commission to enact a new Alcohol Strategy, as the Committee for Public Health comes out in favour of a renewal; Diageo and the Brewers of Europe agree to product labelling in principle; damning reports criticise industry monitoring of Responsibility Deal alcohol pledges; and the World Cancer Research Fund finds three alcoholic drinks a day is a "convincing cause of liver cancer" | IAS, UK
Glastonbury bans laughing gas from Stone Circle sacred space
Glastonbury organisers have asked people not to bring laughing gas to the Stone Circle this year | BBC, UK
Daresbury Hall: Cannabis farm found at former mansion
About 600 cannabis plants - estimated to have a street value of £750,000 - were found in an annexe building of Daresbury Hall, Cheshire Police added | BBC, UK
Amphetamines drug gang jailed for almost 19 years
Members of a gang which brought more than £150,000 worth of drugs to Devon have been jailed for a total of almost 19 years | BBC, UK
High hopes for ACS cannabis division
Back in October, one man was working to petition the American Chemical Society (ACS) to establish a division for cannabis chemists. Ezra Pryor – an ACS member and president of Ezchem cannabis consultancy – was somewhat alone in his quest for such professional recognition, but he’s made significant progress over the last few months | Chemistry World, UK
International news
Bali Nine: Indonesia executes eight prisoners but reprieves Mary Jane Veloso – latest updates
Australians Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran and six other men are executed by firing squad, as Filipina Mary Jane Velosa wins a last-minute reprieve | Guardian, UK
Indonesia's tough stance on drugs explained - video
The Indonesian authorities have carried out the executions of eight convicted drug smugglers, despite international calls for a reprieve | BBC, UK
Bali Nine executions: Tony Abbott to recall Australia's ambassador to Indonesia
‘These executions are both cruel and unnecessary … both of these young Australians were fully rehabilitated while in prison,’ prime minister says | Guardian, UK
Bali Nine: fresh calls for review of federal police actions that led to executions
Nick Xenophon says he will raise issue in Senate estimates, while other MPs plan to introduce bill to outlaw information-sharing that could lead to death penalty | Guardian, UK
Jamaica has planted its first legal marijuana plant
Government said it is the first step toward a legal cannabis industry | Independent, UK
Coalition criticised for lack of alcohol action
Successive governments have paid "lip service" to tackling the damage caused by alcohol, according to one of the country’s leading authorities on alcohol policy | Irish Examiner, Ireland
Alcohol is the number one 'date rape' drug in Ireland - experts
While there are cases of sexual predators using drugs such as Rohypnol to incapacitate vulnerable women, secretly giving 'double shots' of alcohol is far more common | Independent, Ireland
Emergency department treatment for opioid addiction better than referrals
The first known randomized trial comparing three treatment strategies for opioid-dependent patients receiving emergency care has been conducted by researchers who found that patients given the medication buprenorphine were more likely to engage in addiction treatment and reduce their illicit opioid use | Science Daily, USA
Blogs, comment and opinion
Interesting things you may have missed - April 2015
Useful statistics and facts from April | Andrew Brown, UK
Sarah's Story: Mental Health, Stigma & Addiction
It started when I was 18-months-old. Apparently I bit my dad on his foot and he kicked me across the room into the radiator. Of course, I don’t remember this, but I do remember most of what came after | Talking Drugs Blog, UK
Recovery South African style – SMMGP’s Elsa Browne meets Dr Lochan Naidoo, Durban GP and President of the INCB
On a particularly sparkling sunny morning this week and on a visit to my former home town of Durban, I drove from the upmarket suburb of uMhlanga in the north through the troubled city centre where recent xenophobic clashes had made the BBC news, to the less salubrious southern suburbs where the addictions treatment clinic of Dr Lochandra (Lochan for short) Naidoo is located | SMMGP Blog, UK
TDs who brag about past drug use need to back law reform
Labour TD Aodhán Ó Ríordáin is the latest Irish politician to admit using drugs but the only one who didn't break the law to do so. Speaking after his new role of Minister of State with responsibility for Drug Strategy was added to his portfolio, he said he dabbled with drugs once while a student | Independent, Ireland
Indonesia murdered eight people. The time for being polite is over
Amid corruption allegations and political posturing, Australia’s neighbours have executed the Bali Nine pair and six others. In our reaction, we do not need to hold back for fear of being seen as arrogant westerners | Guardian, UK
Indonesia does need the death penalty to deter drug traffickers
International pressure has mounted on Indonesia in recent months to stop its enforcement of the death penalty. President Joko Widodo – known as Jokowi – ordered the execution of six convicted drug traffickers, five of whom were foreign nationals, in January | Conversation, Australia
Chan and Sukumaran are victims of the futile war on drugs
Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran are the victims of an ill-conceived war. On Tuesday night, the two convicted Australian drug traffickers were executed by firing squad in Indonesia. They have become the latest victims in the unwinnable “war on drugs”. | Conversation, Australia